Jeffrey Lee Jackson, 29, of Box 286, White Earth has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for felony first-degree burglary - assault.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Two other felony burglary and assault charges were dropped in a plea agreement.

According to court records, on Oct. 21 at about 5:15 p.m., police officers were called to a residence in the Pine Point area in response to a possible burglary and assault.

Jackson went to the residence and angrily pounded on the door. When told to go away, he broke the locked door down and went after a man there identified only as J.J., breaking a glass jar over his head. He also tried to hit the man with a small wooden table.

Jackson then grabbed a hammer and smashed a TV set. He also hit a woman, identified only as J.K., in the hand with the hammer. He fled when told police were on their way. He was arrested at home -- a residence he shares with J.K and their children.

He appeared April 28 before District Judge Joe Evans, who agreed to a downward departure in the state's sentencing guidelines and sentenced him to 53 months in prison, stayed 20 years. He was placed on supervised probation and ordered to serve 285 days in jail, with credit for 190 days served. He was released.

He was fined $1,000 plus court fees and can do community service work in lieu of the fine. He must abstain from drugs and alcohol and submit to random testing. He must take a cognitive skills class and have no contact with the man he assaulted. A no-contact order involving the woman was lifted.

The downward departure was granted because the incident was out of character for Jackson: He has no significant prior criminal history, is remorseful and expected to do well on probation, and his former employer will hire him back.